


Tag-along

by Electrons



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Age Swap, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Gen, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26730028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Electrons/pseuds/Electrons
Summary: Another age swap AU. There's probably dozens of these, but hey, two cakes, right? Aang is sixteen. Zuko is twelve. Katara is fifteen and Sokka is fourteen.
Relationships: Katara/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 349
Kudos: 523





	1. Harm's Way

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another Tumblr fic that got too long.

"You're just a teenager," the unbroken voice of a little boy complained.

Aang tried and failed to hold back a chuckle. "So? You're just a little kid."

The shriek of rage was funny. The blast of flame that accompanied it was not.

…

Aang's eyes widened when he lifted the mask off the small figure and realized who it was that had rescued him. He picked up the small form and ran into the woods. When he judged them far enough away, Aang laid Zuko down and examined the large bruise forming on his skull. Aang winced in sympathy.

"Sorry, Zuko," Aang whispered.

"Mom," Zuko mumbled. His eyes fluttered and then closed again.

Aang flinched. "No, it's me, Aang."

"Hurts," Zuko whispered.

Aang nodded. "I believe it. Let's get you back to your uncle." Aang pulled Zuko onto his back. Aang started running towards the coast.

It didn't take long to find Zuko's ship. It wasn't as if they were hiding. Zuko's uncle was even sitting on the deck, watching the shore. He held a candle and sipped a cup of tea.

Iroh's eyes widened when Aang landed on the deck. He set his tea down and scrambled to his feet. He didn't get into an offensive stance though. "Avatar Aang! Is he-"

"He's alive," Aang assured him. "He got hurt rescuing me. I'm sorry."

Iroh nodded on understanding. "You must think me a very neglectful guardian."

Aang pulled Zuko from his back and into his arms. "I remember being this young. I was hard to pin down too. Kids."

Iroh reached out and took Zuko into his own arms. "Thank you for your mercy, Avatar. I know we have been a nuisance to you."

Even though Aang heard sincerity in Iroh's voice, the gratitude offended him. He didn't think not hurting a child was a reason to be thanked. "He's a kid. I couldn't just leave him there."

"You could have, but you didn't, and for that you have my eternal gratitude."

Aang shook his head. "Why is he so desperate to capture me?"

So Iroh told Aang a story. Aang struggled not to lose his supper as he listened. "How old was he?"

"Ten years," Iroh said. "Disgraceful."

Aang clenched his fists. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

"You must wonder why I haven't risen against my brother," Iroh guessed.

"Because if you did you wouldn't be able to protect your nephew anymore, and he needs at least one person in the world looking out for him," Aang said.

"You're very wise, Avatar Aang."

Aang shrugged. "Well I am a monk. Plus I'm the Avatar." He glanced at the still unconscious child. "Just… Please keep looking out for him. He's a good kid."

Iroh pulled the child closer to his chest. Aang departed to go collect some frogs.

…

Aang groaned as he woke up and then frowned as he felt the tug of ropes at his wrist. His heart leapt into his throat. Fear and panic ran rampant through his mind. He opened his eyes to look at his captor. Aang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Zuko's familiar scowl. Then Aang frowned when he saw the bruises and cuts on Zuko's face.

"Oh, hey Zuko. Good to see you."

Zuko scowled. "You're my prisoner, Avatar," he said in a high-pitched voice.

Aang nodded. "Cool." He adjusted his position on the ground, trying to get comfortable. "How have you been?"

"I'm taking you back to the Fire Nation to be the Firelord's prisoner!"

Aang looked towards the entrance of the cave where a storm was raging outside. Then he looked at the warm fire in the middle of the cave. "Thanks for making a fire to keep us warm," Aang told Zuko. "That was considerate."

"Did you hear what I just said?!"

Aang nodded. "Yeah, you want to bring me to the Fire Nation to meet your evil dad."

"My dad isn't evil! He's going to bring enlightenment and prosperity to the world's savage and underdeveloped cultures!" Zuko clenched his hands into fists.

"Sure," Aang said, struggling to keep the derision out of his tone. "He sounds great."

"Shut up! You don't know anything about my dad!"

Aang took a deep breath and willed his tone to be calm and soothing. "I know what he did to you, and I know that it was wrong."

Zuko's right eye widened. His left eye couldn't. "How- How do you…" He looked down at the ground as if ashamed. Aang wanted to hug him, or at least punch Ozai.

"Your uncle told me," Aang whispered. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

"I was weak and disrespectful, but I'm not anymore! I've grown up! I'm not a stupid kid! When I take you to my father in chains, he'll see that I've learned my lesson."

Aang flinched. "You weren't weak or disrespectful. You were a kid. Kids shouldn't have to fight. The adults in their life are supposed to protect them."

"I can protect myself!" The flames of their fire grew taller, but none reached out to burn Aang.

"I believe you," Aang said. "But you shouldn't HAVE to, and your dad shouldn't have hurt you. He had no right to do that." Aang looked at all the wounds on Zuko's face and wanted to cry.

"He's the Firelord, and he's my dad. He can do whatever he wants."

Aang sighed. "Where's your uncle? How did you get so beat up?"

Zuko's scowl deepened. "No more talking."

"Zuko-"

"No! You're my prisoner, and I'm finally going to get to go home! So, shut up." Zuko turned away as if not being able to see Aang would somehow make him unable to hear him.

Aang wore a rueful smile. "Alright, fine. We won't talk." Aang listened to the wind howl outside. It was a tragically beautiful melody.

"I'm bored though. If I'm not allowed to talk, will you at least say something to me?"

Zuko turned back around. "Like what?"

"You could tell me some stories."

Zuko fidgeted. "Do you… wanna hear about my favorite play?"

Aang brightened. "Sure! I'd love to."

Aang didn't miss the smile that tried to fight its way to Zuko's face only to be forced back down. It was okay. Aang settled in to listen to the story.

…

Iroh gaped at the sixteen years old with blue arrow tattoos his nephew escorted onto the ship. "Uh… Who's our guest, nephew?"

"This is the Avatar!" Zuko brandished an antique Air Nomad glider as he spoke, holding it like a sword.

"Oh, please be careful with that if you don't mind," the Avatar said. "It's a delicate instrument."

"Oh, sorry. I mean- I'll do what I like, prisoner!"

"Zuko, don't be rude," Iroh admonished.

Zuko scowled. "Here, you take it, Uncle." He handed Iroh the staff.

Iroh took the glider with gentle care. He locked eyes with the teenager, the alleged Avatar. "What's your name," Iroh asked.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Aang. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Iroh raised a brow. He glanced at Aang's bound hands. "It is?"

"Sure! I love meeting new people. I can't stay for very long, but I'm really looking forward to getting to know both of you." Aang beamed at him.

Iroh lowered his voice. "Are you really an Air Nomad? Are you sure you aren't just a member of an acting group? Did you get discharged from a hospital recently by any chance?"

"Nope! I'm the Avatar, and it's a pleasure to be here!"

Iroh examined the staff in his hands. "This is turning into an interesting day," he muttered.

…

"Here, take your stupid scroll!" Katara threw it at the feet of the pirate. "I don't even want it anymore."

The pirate scowled as he picked up the scroll. "Be that as it may, there's still the matter of the rental fee."

Katara rolled her eyes. "I don't have any money. Your scroll isn't damaged; your buyer will never know it left your posesion. Just take it and go."

The pirate tucked the scroll into his belt and stepped closer. "Money isn't what I had in mind."

Katara's eyes widened. "Stay away from me," she growled.

The pirate laughed at her. He lunged forward and grabbed her arms, wrenching one behind her back painfully. "This will only be worse if you struggle. Close your eyes, and it will all be over soon."

Katara reacted with a well-placed kick that left the pirate gasping. She started running, but he tripped her. She hit the sandy bank hard.

"Now, it's going to be so much worse."

"Get away from her!"

Katara frowned. She knew that voice. She looked over towards the trees and saw a little kid. His hands were clenched into fists, and his fists were on fire. His face was twisted into an expression of rage.

The pirate laughed. "Get out of here kid, or you're next." He stepped on Katara's wrist, causing her a great deal of pain.

"Zuko, run!" Katara didn't want to be in any way responsible for a child getting hurt, even if that child was a pretty consistent nuisance to her and her friends. "Get out of here!"

"Let her go, or you'll regret it," Zuko insisted.

The pirate laughed, and that was his big mistake. Zuko threw fire, but not at him. He threw fire at the sails of the pirate's ship. All of a sudden, the pirate was a lot less interested in sex, and a lot more interested in preserving his livelihood.

As the pirate ran towards his ship, Katara got to her feet and grabbed Zuko's hand with her uninjured one. "Let's get out of here!"

They ran for a little while, until Katara realized she was leading Zuko straight to Aang. She stopped. "Why are we stopping," Zuko asked.

"Where's your ship," Katara asked. "Your uncle is probably worried about you."

Zuko glared at her. "I'll go back to my ship after I capture the Avatar." Zuko frowned. "Why isn't he with you?"

Katara cringed at the memory of her actions. "I kind of… snuck away," she admitted.

Zuko looked at her with wide eyes. "Did he hurt you?"

"What? No!" Katara shook her head. "He wouldn't do that. I was… kind of mean to him, to be honest."

"Why?"

"It's stupid. I just… I really wanted to master waterbending. My mother died because of my bending, and if I don't master it, then it's almost like she died for nothing. I just want to make her proud."

Zuko looked at the ground. "Yeah, I miss my mom too."

Katara looked at him with surprise. "Is she dead?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know. We're not allowed to talk about her."

Katara shivered. "I wouldn't be able to do that. I have to talk about her, at least sometimes. It helps keep her memory alive. Now that I don't have her necklace anymore, memory is all I have left of her."

Zuko blushed with shame. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace Katara had never thought she was going to see again. "Was it this necklace?"

"Where did you find that?!" Katara exclaimed with giddy amazement.

"I didn't steal it! I found it on that prison barge."

"I didn't think you stole it," Katara assured him. "Thank you for keeping it safe."

Zuko held it out to her. "Here you go."

Katara knelt down in front of him. "Thank you, Zuko. Will you help me put it back on?"

Zuko nodded. He fastened the ribbon to her neck. "I guess we can go back to my ship. You'll be safe from the pirates there. I don't want to endanger you."

"Thank you, Zuko. That's very honorable of you."

Zuko blushed again. He offered her his hand, and she took it.

…

"Here for a rematch?" Zuko got into a fighting stance while Sokka shrieked with delight at the sight of the polar beardog Zuko had used to pull the sleigh he'd been transporting Aang on. The fourteen year old boy tackled the dog and started rolling around with it. Zuko resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I don't want to fight you, Zuko," Katara said gently. The fifteen year old glanced at Yue. "We want to take you and Aang back to the Oasis, where you'll both be safe from the storm."

"No! The Avatar is my prisoner."

"Absolutely," Aang piped up. "But I can still be your prisoner at the nice warm Oasis, right? Then, once the storm is over, you can get back to taking me to the Fire Nation."

"What?!" Yue looked at Aang like he was insane.

"Absolutely," Katara said. "So let's all get on Appa, okay?"

Zuko scoffed. "Why should I trust any of you?"

"You can trust us," Katara insisted. "We're your friends."

"Yeah," Aang said. "If we stay here, we'll freeze, or worse, Zhao will find us. Let's go back to where it's nice and toasty. We can plan our field trip to the Fire Nation once Zhao is gone."

"It's not a field trip! You're going to prison!"

Aang nodded. "Right, right."

Katara frowned. "What happened to your face?" She glanced at Aang. "Did you hit him?!"

"What? No!" Aang looked offended. "I wouldn't do that!"

"It wasn't Aang," Zuko assured her. "It was Zhao."

"Oh, I am going to kick his A-"

"Katara!" Yue put her hands on her hips.

Katara blushed. "Sorry, Yue."

Aang knelt down to Zuko, which his bound hands made quite awkward. He whispered in Zuko's ear. "If you let Katara convince you to take me to the Oasis, you'll help her look good in front of her girlfriend."

Zuko blinked at the two teenagers. "That's Katara's girlfriend," Zuko whispered back.

"Yep." Aang grinned like a cheshire shark.

"She's pretty," Zuko said.

"So help Katara out, hm? I promise, we'll go to the Fire Nation after."

Zuko sighed. "Fine. Only to help Katara. She isn't as weird about flirting with girls as my uncle is."

Aang's grin widened. "Good man."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhao's a dick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asked for and granted. Careful what you wish for.

Zuko gripped the edge of the deck with his fingers while he scrabbled for purchase against the smooth metal hull with his feet. The Water Tribe boy, whatever his name was, picked up Zuko's spear. Zuko's eyes widened with fear. He pictured the barbarian stabbing him in the neck with his own weapon, a truly undignified way to go.

The Water Tribe boy flipped the spear, so that the end of the handle was pointed at Zuko. "Let's see how you like it!" His high-pitched voice was a small condolence to Zuko. At least his voice hadn't dropped yet either.

The boy poked Zuko in the head with his own spear. Oh, the humiliation. "Hey! Quit it!"

"Doesn't feel good, does it?"

"Stop!" Zuko felt himself beginning to lose his grip. "Cut it out!"

"Sokka!" The Water Tribe boy stopped poking Zuko and looked over his shoulder. The Water Tribe girl was there, hands on her hips, looking furious. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"He started it!"

"What does Gran-Gran say about bullying younger kids?"

"But he's the enemy!"

While the two were distracted, Zuko scrambled back onto the deck. "Surrender!"

"Are you okay," the Water Tribe girl asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine! Now, surrender!"

"Unfortunately, we have to leave now." The Water Tribe girl took the Water Tribe boy's hand and smiled at Zuko. "Some other time, maybe? Bye!" The Water Tribe girl tugged the boy after her and ran over to the sky bison.

"Hey! Get back here! You don't have my permission to escape!"

…

Sokka almost crowed with delight when the four Fire Sages helped Shyu open the door to the inner sanctum. Sokka loved when a good plan came together. The door opened, and Sokka, Katara and Shyu attacked the sages, subduing them. "Ha!" Sokka beamed.

"Aang, hurry," Katara called to Aang. He didn't emerge from behind the pillar where he'd been hiding. "Aang?"

Aang walked out from behind the pillar, but he wasn't alone. Zuko was on his back, holding a dagger to his throat. "The Avatar is my hostage! He's coming with me!"

Katara sighed with exasperation. "Really Aang, now?"

"You act like I plan these things," Aang said with a goofy grin on his face.

"You need to go inside and talk to Roku!"

"I can still do that." Aang started to run into the sanctum, Zuko still clinging to his back. Zuko's dagger was pressed against Aang's throat, but Zuko made no move to cut Aang.

"Hey! Stop! Prisoner, I order you to stop!" They slid into the sanctum, and the doors slammed shut behind them.

"I hate that kid," Sokka muttered.

"Me too," said a sinister voice. Zhao emerged from the shadows. "Lucky for me, now that he's in the Fire Nation, I have cause to arrest him. That little brat isn't going to see daylight again for a long time."

Katara glared at him with disgust. "He's twelve!" She sounded outraged.

Zhao shrugged. "What do you care? I'd worry more about yourself, if I were you." Zhao raised his hands to attack.

Sokka hated when a good plan fell apart.

…

Zhao crowed as he lifted the bag into the air. "From this day forward, I will be known as Zhao the conqueror, Zhao the invincible, Zhao, THE MOONSLAYER!"

"Let the spirit go," a quiet, calm, but oh so furious, voice demanded.

Zhao chuckled as he turned to face Iroh. "General Iroh, why am I not surprised by your treachery?"

"You murdered my nephew. He was twelve years old." Iroh shook with rage. "Enough people have died in this pointless war. Stop this, or I will stop you, forever."

Zhao chuckled. "That little brat was a traitor. He deserved-"

"Uncle!" A sky bison landed in the Oasis, and a little kid jumped from it. "What are you doing here?!"

"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me! You can't even die right!" Zhao filled his hand with fire and moved to strike at the child.

Iroh surged forward and grabbed Zhao's hand. Zhao dropped the bag into the water, and the Koi slid out. The moon began to glow white again. "Don't you dare raise your hand against my nephew," Iroh growled.

Zhao swiped at Iroh with fire. Iroh stepped back. Zhao raised his hands as if he were going to attack Iroh again, and Iroh prepared to block. Zhao turned away from Iroh at the last moment. He struck at the water.

The moon died. Zhao grinned. Someone was crying, and Zhao took great pleasure in the sound. Fire headed towards him, but Zhao reached out and seized it. The flames grew with his joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are loved, good or bad. Please call me out if this crossed the line from silly in a cute way to silly in a ridiculous way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sure, kid. Sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited this chapter in a rush while I was supposed to be getting ready for work. I should go do that now.

Zuko stomped down the gangplank. "I want us resupplied by midday and then we're moving out!"

"My, my, Prince Zuko. One might almost think that you didn't want to see me."

Zuko froze and then turned to face the speaker. He scowled. "Hi, Zhao."

"That's Commander Zhao, now," Zhao corrected Zuko.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Zhao scowled. "I see that two years at sea haven't taught you any respect, you impudent little brat," Zhao hissed.

Zuko opened his mouth to shout a response, but then he felt a hand lower onto his shoulder. Zuko looked up and saw his uncle standing there, expression unreadable. Iroh nodded at Zhao. "Commander."

"General," Zhao said with a smirk.

"Retired," Iroh said.

"Ah yes, how could I forget? Your defeat at Ba Sing Se was a great tragedy for our nation."

"Don't talk to my uncle like that!"

Zhao smirked at Zuko. "How goes your search for the Avatar, Prince Zuko?"

"Fine," Zuko insisted. "It's going really well."

"Oh? Any new leads?" Zhao was grinning with amusement.

"Nothing so far, but we are hopeful," Iroh said.

"That's too bad," Zhao said in a patronizing tone. "I'm sure you're trying your best, Prince Zuko. I guess your best just isn't up to the task."

Zuko flushed red. "You don't know what you're talking about! We almost caught him a few days ago! If it hadn't been for those Water Tribe savages, we'd be halfway home with him!"

Zhao guffawed, holding his stomach as he shook with laughter. "Of course, Prince Zuko. You have a very active imagination." Zhao wiped away a tear of laughter. "If you have need of me, I'll be in my office."

Zuko clenched his fists with rage as he watched Zhao walk away from them. "I hate him."

"Prince Zuko," Iroh admonished. "What have I told you?"

Zuko sighed. "Hate isn't a nice word."

…

"Nila needs something that has the Avatar's scent on it. Do you have anything like that? If you know anyone that's spent a lot of time around them, that will work too."

Iroh grinned. "Indeed, we have just such a person!"

Zuko frowned at Iroh, confused. "Who?"

"You, nephew!"

"I don't spend a lot of time with them!"

Iroh gestured for Jun to bring her beast closer. "Get a good whiff of my nephew here. He bathes regularly, so your pet may need several sniffs."

"Uncle!"

…

Zuko walked up to Katara. He noticed that he was shaking a bit and grabbed his wrist in an attempt to still himself. Katara noticed him and turned to look at him. Her eyes were dull. Zuko swallowed with nervousness.

"I-I- umm… I'm s-sorry. Ab-b-bout your girlf-f-friend," Zuko whispered.

Katara's face softened. She offered him a small, sad, smile. "She wasn't really my girlfriend. She was engaged to someone else."

"Oh…" Zuko didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing.

"She was so brave." Katara looked up at the moon. "Now she's always watching over us."

Zuko looked up at the moon as well. "She's still pretty," Zuko said. Then he flinched, because he knew he sounded stupid.

Katara gave a soft, small laugh, like tinkling glass. "Yes, she is. She's beautiful." Katara put her arm around Zuko's shoulders. They watched Yue together.

…

Zuko stomped into the town square. "I'm here for the Avatar! Where is he?!"

Several warriors entered the square. Zuko got into a fighting stance. The warrior in the front shook her head. "Your commander should be ashamed of himself, sending a child as his herald. Who do you speak for?"

Zuko scowled. "I'm Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, and I'm here to capture the Avatar!"

The warriors all looked at each other. The warrior in front frowned at him. "... Seriously?"

"Yes! Now bring him out here or I will burn your village to the ground!" Zuko thought about his uncle's proverb about beeflies. "Please," he tacked on.

One of the warriors snickered, and then a different warrior elbowed her. The warrior in front scratched her head. "Are you here by yourself? No one else is with you?"

"The rest of my crew is on my ship. My uncle said it's dangerous to antagonize Kyoshi Warriors and that we should just wait for the Avatar to leave. I'm not afraid of anything though, so I snuck-" Zuko cleared his throat. "I mean I decided to face you all on my own!"

"Uh-huh," the lead warrior said. "You're going to fight us?"

"Yes!"

"By yourself?"

Zuko stomped his foot. "Yes!"

She shrugged. "Okay." She smirked at him. "But first you have to have lunch with us."

Zuko blinked at her. "What?"

"It's tradition on Kyoshi Island to share lunch with someone before battling them. You wouldn't want to disrespect our culture, would you?"

"I guess not…"

"Great! Let's go."

…

Iroh raised a brow as Zuko and Katara boarded the ship together. Zuko saw his uncle's expression and rubbed his neck. "Ummm… Katara got attacked by pirates. I rescued her."

"Ah." Iroh nodded. "That was very honorable of you, Nephew." He smiled at Katara. "Are you well, Lady Katara?"

Zuko scoffed. "Katara isn't a _lady_ , she's from the _Water_ _Tribe_." Zuko frowned. He looked at Katara. "Wait, are you a lady?"

Katara laughed. "We don't really have lords and ladies in the Water Tribes. I'm just a Tribeswoman like any other woman of my tribe. We don't have ranks."

"How do you know which people are your superiors and which are your inferiors?" He stared at her, baffled.

"We do things differently in my culture. We're all equals. Even my dad, the Chief, isn't considered to be superior to other members of our tribe. He just provides leadership when we need it in difficult situations."

Iroh made an effort not to react to the fact that the daughter of one of the Fire Nation's most wanted fugitives was standing right in front of him. He looked around to make sure none of the crew were present. Not arresting her would be difficult to explain.

Zuko's frown deepened. "Your dad is the Chief?"

Katara nodded. "Yeah, why?"

Zuko looked at his feet. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"That must be hard." Iroh flinched. He looked at Katara and saw that she didn't understand. No, it made sense that she wouldn't.

…

Iroh glanced over his shoulder. "I have to assume control of the fleet and order a retreat, or thousands of people will die."

Aang nodded. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate-"

"When I made this plan I thought my nephew was dead. Now that I know he's alive, I have to make sure that he's safe. I can't take him with me to Fire Nation waters, or he'll be imprisoned. I can't let him stay here with people that have every reason to hate-"

"We'll take care of him!" Aang looked almost giddy at the prospect. "He can come with us to look for my earthbending Master. It will be fun."

Iroh gave him a skeptical look. "Avatar Aang, I am grateful to you for the kindness you have shown my nephew, but you do know that he still wants to capture you, right?"

Aang nodded. "Nothing new there."

Iroh appraised Aang. "You really wouldn't mind taking care of him?"

Aang waved that concern away. "Of course not! We all love Zuko. Well, Sokka doesn't, but he's a fourteen year old boy, and they hate everybody."

Iroh conceded that this was the case. "Alright…"

Aang bounced up and down on his toes. "This is going to be so fun!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fucking Zhao, man.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka, quit picking on the younger kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started out as a cute little "lol, what if?" and now I'm actually considering making it a real story with like an ending. Maybe.

Suki blinked with surprise when she saw a strange boy with a scar on his face enter the dining hall. She turned to her other trainees. "Who is that?"

The other trainees shrugged. Suki ran up to her mother, who was whispering with some other warriors. "Go get his uncle," Suki heard her say.

"Mom," Suki said. "Who is that boy?"

Her mother smiled at her. "Suki, Love, can you go take a message to the Avatar and his companions for me?"

Suki twisted her face in distaste. She didn't much care for the Avatar's companions. She was a loyal daughter though. "Yes, Mother."

"Tell the Avatar that Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation is here and wishes to capture him."

Suki's eyes widened with shock and horror. "That's terrible!"

Suki's mother pointed at the strange boy being smothered with rice and fermented fish. "That's him, right there."

Suki frowned. "He's my age!" Suki felt indignant. Her mother always told her she wasn't old enough to graduate from trainee yet, even though her skills were far ahead of her contemporaries. That boy didn't look any older though, and he got to go on important missions for his country.

Suki's mother nodded. "Yes, he is. Poor kid. Run along now."

Suki shook her head and went to complete her task. When she got to where the Avatar was staying, Sokka opened the door. He scowled at her. "What do you want?"

Suki rolled her eyes at him. "I have an important message for the Avatar."

"What is it? I'll tell him."

Suki shook her head. "My mother told me to tell the Avatar," Suki insisted. "Where is he?"

Sokka's scowl deepened. "Just tell me. I'm his friend."

Suki smirked. "Nope," she said, popping the P. "Not gonna happen." She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her tongue out at him.

Sokka turned red. "Why are you Kyoshi Warriors all such jerks?! I hate this island!"

"Well, we don't like you either!"

"I don't like you the most!"

"I like you the least!"

Katara ran into the room. "What's going on? Sokka, why are you bullying her? That isn't very nice. You need to apologize."

"What?!" Sokka shook with outrage. "She started it!"

"Sokka." Katara put her hands on her hips. "We need to be respectful to our hosts. Apologize."

Suki smirked at Sokka as he blushed red under his dark complexion. He scowled at her harder than ever. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

"Sorry," Sokka muttered.

"I forgive you," Suki said with unrestrained delight.

"Is something wrong," Katara asked. "Did you need something?"

"Oh yeah," Suki said. "I almost forgot. There's a Prince Zuko here to capture Aang."

…

"Uncle!" Zuko stomped into the clearing. "It's time to go! Come on!"

"Ah, Prince Zuko," Iroh said with a satisfied sigh. "You must try these hot springs. They are so soothing on my old joints."

"We don't have time for your joints! I need to capture the Avatar!"

Iroh sighed, less with satisfaction this time and more with resignation. He had an idea and smirked. He stretched his limbs. "Alright," he said, standing up.

"Gah!" Zuko shielded his eyes. "Uncle! Put some clothes on."

"Would you mind getting my towel for me," Iroh asked.

"Fine," Zuko snapped. "You can stay. You have five minutes! If you aren't back at the ship in five minutes, we're leaving without you."

Iroh settled back into the water. "I am so lucky to have such a generous nephew."

Zuko scowled at him. "You're so weird, Uncle! How can you stand to be out here like that? What if someone sees you?"

"The human body is not a shameful thing," Iroh lectured his nephew. "The body is an extension of the mind and spirit, a physical manifestation of our will. Through the body, we carry out the desires of the mind and satisfy the needs of the spirit."

"You always say such dumb things," Zuko complained. "I'm going back to the ship!"

Iroh shrugged. "Thank you for the extra time, Nephew," he called after him.

"Whatever!" Zuko stomped off.

Iroh sighed. His heart ached for his poor young nephew. The boy was so rigid and stubborn, afraid of disappointing a father who didn't deserve his love. He wished he could explain to Zuko how horrific Ozai's actions had been. Iroh knew that would just further alienate Zuko. All he could do was offer the child unconditional love and hope he learned to accept it.

Then the earth slid uphill and Iroh had more urgent issues to contend with.

…

"Welcome, Avatar Aang, Hero of the North! I am General Fong!" The general gave Aang a deep bow. "It is our greatest honor to receive you and your venerated companions!" He grinned at them.

Aang returned the bow and gave the general an awkward smile. "Thanks," he said.

"Master Katara, the Last Waterbender of the South!" The general bowed. "Sokka, Wolf of the South, who faced hostile Fire Nation invaders all on his own!" The general bowed again.

Sokka and Katara shared grins of amusement mixed with some pleasure and pride. "That's us," Sokka declared. "We're pretty great!"

"Who is your third companion?"

Zuko was trying to hide behind Katara, and he was small enough to more or less manage it. To his misfortune, his feet were still visible. Zuko sighed and stepped out from behind her. "Hi," he whispered.

Zuko had spent a lot of time on the Water Tribe ship wondering why his uncle had decided to leave him with the Avatar. The answer had been obvious once he started to use his brain like his father used to always tell him to do. His uncle was tired of Zuko's screwups. Zuko was old enough to finish his mission on his own, and his uncle was giving him a chance to prove he wasn't a useless burden. Zuko refused to let him down.

Aang put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and he flinched. "This is Lee," Aang lied with ease. Aang was such a good liar, like Azula. Zuko wasn't sure why Aang was lying about caring about him, but Zuko wasn't going to fall for it. "He's our friend," Aang said.

"Not really," Sokka muttered.

Katara smacked the back of Sokka's head. "Yes, really," she hissed. "I told you to be nice."

"But I hate him," Sokka whined.

Zuko flushed red. "I hate you too!"

Aang gave the general a nervous chuckle. "Kids, huh. What are you going to do? How about a tour?"

"Er… Yes, yes of course, Avatar Aang."

"Um…" Aang rubbed the back of his neck. "You can just call me Aang."

The general bowed again. "As you say. Follow me!"

Zuko trailed behind Aang and his friends. He didn't like the general. He reminded Zuko of the sycophantic way Zhao had always acted around his father back at court. Katara stopped and waited for him. "Are you okay?"

Zuko nodded, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.

Katara smiled at him. "Thanks for coming with us. We're really happy to have you here."

Zuko blushed. "Thanks," he murmured.

She reached for his hand. He let her take it, to comfort her, not for any other reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving a review if you would like, good, bad or indifferent.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko wants to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's one of my rare days off, and I should be cleaning and doing laundry. I'm doing this instead.

Iroh sat with his legs folded and raised a cup of tea to his lips as he enjoyed the bracing ocean air. He sipped the ginseng and then sighed with contentment. He pulled a bowl of noodles closer to himself. Iroh glanced over his shoulder to make sure his nephew was still sulking in his room. The last thing Iroh needed was for Zuko to witness him enjoying cherryplum glazed turtleduck.

Lieutenant Jee was standing there. Iroh sighed. "What is it?"

"Your Highness, there's a woman approaching the ship. She's dressed up like she's going to a fancy party."

Iroh jumped to his feet. "I had hoped to avoid the notice of the Kyoshi Warriors. The situation is not unsalvageable. They have remained nuetral in the war so far. Make sure Zuko stays in his room."

"He doesn't listen to me," Jee protested.

"He's twelve," Iroh said with a sigh.

"He's twelve, and he doesn't listen to me," Jee reiterated.

Iroh went to go meet the woman. On the inside he scoffed at Jee's assessment. Apparently the man couldn't recognize battle armor just because it came from a different culture. Iroh knew that Kyoshi Warriors were lethal. He met the woman outside the ship and greeted her with a bow.

"It is an honor to meet one of the famed Kyoshi-"

"Come get your nephew," she said without preamble.

Iroh paled. He glanced back at the ship and then looked at the Kyoshi Warrior, eyes wide. "My nephew? Where is he?"

"He's at our village."

Dozens of horrible scenarios ran through Iroh's mind at the same time. He should have been watching Zuko. Iroh was Zuko's lone protector in the world. Iroh had failed him, just like he had Lu Ten. "Is he hurt?"

The woman gave Iroh a disgusted look. "The Kyoshi Warriors are a noble order, following the teachings laid down for us by Avatar Kyoshi centuries ago." She glared at him. "We don't hurt children."

Iroh released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "What do you want in exchange for him? I have money."

"We want him out of our village," the woman said. "Follow me."

Iroh did as instructed. The woman led Iroh to a large hall, where Zuko was sitting in front of a plate piled high with food. A gaggle of teenage girls were fussing over him, and Zuko looked miserable. Iroh released a deep belly laugh.

"Uncle!" Zuko jumped up from his seat and ran over to Iroh. Zuko threw his arms around his uncle. "Uncle! Girls are crazy!"

Iroh snickered. "In a few years you might not think so," Iroh teased him.

"They keep trying to make me eat! Their food is gross. It doesn't have any seasoning." Zuko seemed to remember at that moment that his hosts could still hear him. He turned around. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Well, best you be on your way then," the leader said. "We wouldn't want to continue to disappoint your highness with our subpar fare." She smirked at him.

Zuko blushed and then scowled. "We still have to fight! I know you're hiding the Avatar!"

Iroh's heart couldn't take all of this stress. His nephew was going to be the death of him. A little girl ran into the hall. She appeared to be a trainee, as she hadn't yet earned a warrior's full uniform. She stopped in front of Zuko and put her hands on her hips.

"I'll fight you, Prince Zuko!"

"Suki!" The head warrior sounded furious.

"You're just a kid," Zuko protested.

"So are you!"

"I'm older than you!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

Iroh cleared his throat. "It appears a challenge has been issued. Nephew, your only options are to accept or leave with me. By the traditions of Kyoshi Island, since neither of you are Masters in bending or weapons, you are restricted to hand to hand combat."

The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"If I win, you have to surrender the Avatar!"

"If I win, you have to leave Kyoshi Island and never come back!"

Iroh smirked. "Ah, young love."

"Ew, Uncle! Gross!"

"Yuck! Disgusting!" Suki glared at Iroh.

…

Bato stared in shock when a large ferocious creature jumped the walls of the abbey. Three strange people disembarked. One of them was a young boy. Katara seemed to know him.

"Hi, Zuko!"

"Hi, Ka- I mean, I don't have time for you, peasant! I'm here to capture the Avatar!"

"Zuko," the old man who was with him said. "That is no way to speak to one's friends."

"They aren't my friends!"

At the same time that Zuko yelled, Sokka released a shout of equal belligerence. "He is not our friend!"

"That's not very nice, Sokka," Aang said.

"Avatar! I demand you fight me!"

Aang sighed. "Fine."

"Aang!" Katara looked horrified. "You are not going to fight him! He's a kid!"

Aang whispered something in her ear. Bato didn't like the idea of teenage boys whispering in his step-daughter's ear. Bato would need to have a discussion with her later.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Do not hurt him." She poked Aang's chest to accentuate her point.

"Monk's honor," Aang promised. He turned to Zuko. "I'm ready for our fight."

"Finally," Zuko said. "The time has come for the Avatar to be brought to justice for his crimes! After a century of running, at last you must face the consequences of your treachery!" Zuko went on like that for a few more minutes.

Bato lowered his voice. "Does this kid always monologue quite so much?"

Katara sighed, but she did so with a fond smile. "Zuko really likes the theater."

"He's the WORST," Sokka added.

…

Aang giggled uncontrollably. "I think this stuff is working." He grinned at Katara. "You're pretty."

Katara rolled her eyes. "You're high."

Aang snickered. "I feel great! The Avatar state is awesome! I'm ready to take down the Firelord!"

Katara leveled a disapproving glare at General Fong while Sokka and Zuko wrestled in the background over some snacks neither of them actually wanted. "What did you give him?"

"It's a chi-enhancing tea," Fong said.

Katara shook her head. "You drugged him."

"Perhaps we just need to adjust the dosage," Fong said. "I'll be right back." He left the courtyard.

"Katara," Aang asked.

"Yes, Aang," she said in a gentle voice.

"I think I got frozen in another iceberg. You need to wake me back up. Kiss me to life, Katara." Aang gave her a goofy grin.

"You need a glass of water and a nap, not a kiss," Katara told him.

Aang pouted. "One kiss?"

"Maybe when you're sober," Katara said.

"C'mon," Aang said playfully. Katara noticed that Sokka and Zuko's fight had concluded and Sokka was munching on the contested snack, but she wasn't really paying attention to them. "Please," Aang said. "You're so pretty."

"That would be a lot more flattering if you weren't as high as a kite," Katara said, unamused.

Aang reached for her hand, not in an aggressive way, and held it in a light grip. He stared into her eyes. "You are so beautiful," he marveled. "You're like a statue that moves and talks and inspires revolutions."

"Aang," Katara said, holding back laughter.

"Hm?" He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Go lie down."

"Aww, but I-"

"Leave her alone!"

Katara and Aang both jumped, startled. Katara looked over her shoulder and saw Zuko standing there, furious. He was shaking with anger, and his hands were clenched into fists. "Zuko," Katara said. "What's wrong?"

"He can't make you kiss him just because he's the Avatar! You don't have to kiss him if you don't want to!"

Aang let go of Katara's hand. "Awwww. That's so sweet. You're so sweet. You're like the little brother I never had."

"I'm not your brother!"

Katara got to her feet and put her hand on Zuko's shoulder. "It's alright," she said in a soothing tone. "Aang would never hurt me. He's just a little loopy right now because of the drugs General Fong gave him."

Zuko gave Katara a weary look. "You shouldn't have to kiss anyone that you don't want to," he insisted.

Katara pulled Zuko into a hug. "Oh kiddo, you are such a sweet boy. Never, ever change." She squeezed him in her arms.

"Uh, Katara," Sokka said.

Katara released Zuko. "Do you want a hug too, little brother?" She turned to Sokka.

He rolled his eyes. "No, hugs are lame. Aang passed out." Sokka pointed at Aang.

Aang was lying on the ground, snoring.

Katara shook her head. "That's it. I'm putting a stop to this. There will be no more attempts to crack the Avatar state. This is ridiculous! The next concoction Fong develops could really hurt Aang."

"So, we're leaving," Zuko asked in a hopeful voice.

Katara nodded. "As soon as Aang wakes up, we're going to Omashu. If Fong doesn't like that, he'll just have to get over it."

A grim voice spoke up from behind Katara. "I'm very disappointed to hear you say that, Master Katara, very disappointed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving a review if you would like, good, bad or indifferent.


	6. Ponytail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A comment on the last chapter just really inspired me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight is next, I promise.

Suki stood across from the Fire Nation boy. She felt naked without her weapons. At least her mother had let her put on the face paint and uniform of a Kyoshi Warrior. It might be a little oversized, but she was fighting for her people. She deserved to participate in this part of her heritage.

"Begin!"

Suki ran at him, swiping the edge of her hand towards his collarbone. He slid under her arm and kicked her shin. She slammed her elbow into his shoulder. He grabbed her elbow and yanked down.

They were both fast, Suki realized. She was a little bit stronger, but he was more flexible. He yanked her wrist up her back, and she felt a twinge of pain. She lashed out and grabbed the first thing her hand made contact with. She marveled at how soft and silky Zuko's hair was, and then she pulled.

"Ow! No hair-pulling!"

"It's your fault for having a stupid haircut!" He really did have such a stupid haircut, she thought to herself.

"Uncle! Tell her she isn't allowed to pull my hair!"

"I'm sorry, Nephew! I'm not permitted to interfere!"

Suki slammed her knee into his kidney, and he fell to the ground. Suki put her foot on top of his neck. "Do you yield?"

He grabbed her ankle and yanked. "Never!"

She tumbled to the ground, and the two of them started wrestling. He grabbed her hair in retaliation for grabbing his. She put her fingers up his nose and yanked, causing him to shriek with pain. She let go at once, not because she felt bad about hurting him, but because the inside of his nose was disgusting.

She wiped snot off her fingers into the dirt and gagged. "Ew." She kicked him in the chest as he tried to get up. "Give up, Fire Nation scum!"

"You're the scum, scum!"

"What kind of comeback is that?"

"Argh!" Zuko pushed himself to his feet, but Suki tripped him and caused him to fall again. She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him flat onto the ground. She straddled his abdomen and pinned him to the earth.

"That's enough of that!" Suki's mother ran over. "I am too young for grandchildren."

Suki blushed. "Ew! Mother!"

"Gross," Zuko complained. "Get off me!"

"Not until you surrender!" Suki did get off though, because her mother reached under her shoulders and yanked her to her feet. "Mom! I was winning!"

"You won, young warrior," Zuko's uncle said through his laughter.

"Not fair," Zuko yelled. "She cheated! She stuck her fingers in my nose! I want a rematch!"

That was when the chaos hit its zenith. The Avatar walked around the corner munching on a mango. "Hey, Zuko! When did you get here? Nice to see you again."

Zuko's response to that statement was less verbal and more copious amounts of fire.

…

Zuko heard voices in the distance. He didn't think before acting. He ran into the clearing. His uncle was kneeling in front of a rock, hands bound. Earthbenders were hovering a rock over his hands.

"Get away from my uncle!"

The Earthbender turned to look at Zuko, and while he was distracted, Iroh struck with his breath of fire. The Earthbender screamed. Zuko got into a bending stance and attacked the other soldiers. "Zuko, run," his uncle commanded, but Zuko ignored him.

Iroh did his best to fight while bound, but they were outnumbered. Zuko threw flame after flame, but they were surrounded. He couldn't firebend behind himself. Worst of all, the sun was setting. Zuko's firebending was weakening.

"Zuko, run!" Iroh sounded desperate, but Zuko still ignored him. Zuko refused to abandon his uncle, no matter how annoying his proverbs were.

One Earthbender grabbed the chain binding Iroh and yanked him to his knees. A second Earthbender threw a rock at Zuko. While Zuko dodged, a third Earthbender snatched Zuko's hair and yanked him up. He grabbed the back of Zuko's robe and hoisted him into the air.

"Put me down!"

"What should we do with the kid, Sir?"

"We don't hurt children," one of the other Earthbenders said.

"The general called him Zuko. Isn't that the name of the Firelord's son?"

The Earthbender who seemed to be in charge looked at Zuko. His eyes widened. "Well, this is a most fortuitous-"

That was when a giant black and white monster crashed into the clearing and things got weird. Not that they had been normal before, but, still.

…

Aang woke up feeling like he had cotton stuffed in his head. "Ugh, that stuff was weird. Katara, don't ever let me drink strange tea again." Aang blinked, and then his eyes widened.

He was in the courtyard, and in front of him, chained to a wall, were Katara, Sokka and Zuko. Sokka had a small red nick in his neck, like someone had held a knife to his throat and gotten careless. The sight made the breath freeze in Aang's lungs. Aang looked down at himself, but he was unbound.

Aang jumped to his feet. He decided that questions could wait. He rushed to his friends in order to free them. "Aang," Katara said. "Wait."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Avatar." Aang turned his head to see General Fong sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, looking almost relaxed. He pointed up. Aang followed the man's finger with his eyes.

They were surrounded by archers. Each arrow was pointed at Katara, Sokka or Zuko. Sokka's eyes were huge with fear. Zuko's eyes were closed tight. Katara just stared straight ahead, stoic.

"Why," Aang asked. "I don't understand." General Fong was supposed to be his ally. There was no reason for Fong to hurt his friends.

"Each time that you have entered the Avatar State, you have done so in order to protect yourself or someone that you care about. Which one of them do you care about the most?"

Aang blinked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What?"

"It's me," Katara said. "He loves me. Let the children go. Use me."

"Katara!" Aang was horrified.

Zuko's eyes flew open. "No! She's lying. The Avatar doesn't care about her at all. He's mean to her all the time. Let her go!"

"Don't touch my sister," Sokka shouted. "If you touch my sister, I'll feed you to a spiked hedgeorca!"

Fong rolled his eyes. "Well, Avatar?"

Aang's heart started pounding. "You don't need to do this. No one needs to get hurt. We'll find another-"

"No." Fong's voice was firm, hard. "We're out of time. My men are dying, more and more every hour. Choose, or I will choose for you."

"Do whatever you want to me," Aang begged. "Just let them go. You can torture me! That would probably trigger the Avatar state!"

Fong shook his head. "I can't risk damaging the Avatar."

Aang tried to think, but panic overwhelmed him. It was so hard to come up with a plan when his brain was just screaming "no, no, no," over and over again. He still felt dizzy from the drugs. "Sokka and Katara are Chief Hakoda's children! If you hurt them, you'll ruin your alliance with him," Aang proclaimed triumphantly.

Fong nodded. "Good point."

He pulled a key out of his pocket. Aang sighed with relief, but Katara looked panicked. Aang didn't understand why. Fong was going to release all of th- oh.

"Wait!"

Fong unlocked Zuko's chains. Zuko kicked Fong in his sensitive area, causing Aang to wince in sympathy. Zuko started to run, but Fong grabbed him by his ponytail and yanked him back. "Not so fast."

"Aang, do something," Katara screamed.

"Yes, do something, Avatar," Fong said with a laugh. He stomped his foot. Zuko sank into the ground. It happened so fast. The ground under Zuko disappeared and swallowed him up. The ground above him resealed itself, as if he had never been there.

"Bring him back," Aang demanded.

"He'll suffocate," Katara screamed.

"Let him go," Sokka yelled.

Sokka's shout was the thing that terrified Aang the most. If Sokka was concerned about Zuko, the situation was truly dire. Panic overwhelmed Aang. He felt like he was falling. He was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving a review if you would like, good, bad or indifferent.


	7. Roku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko's relationship with his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, after this, I promise the next update will be the conclusion of Fight. Pinky promise. (Keep in mind though, if you cut off my pinkie, my ability to update will be severely hampered.)

"Woah!" Aang laughed as he dodged a blast of fire from Zuko. "What are the odds of the two of us running into each other again?"

"That's because I'm  _ trying to capture you! _ " Zuko screamed his frustration, exhaling sparks.

"Hey, you're not allowed to do that! I won the duel!" Suki stomped her foot with outrage. "Mother, tell him!"

"She's right, Nephew," Iroh said in a voice full of amusement. Zuko wanted to cry. Not even his uncle was on his side. "We are honor-bound to leave the Avatar in peace, for as long as he remains on Kyoshi Island."

"That isn't fair!" Zuko stomped his foot like Suki had. He told himself it wasn't as childish when he did it. He would figure out why later.

"Don't worry, Zuko," Aang said. "We won't be here forever. You can try to capture me later." Aang laughed. Zuko bit his lip to hold in a sob at the injustice of it all.

"Aang!" Katara put her hands on her hips. "Don't encourage him! He's just a kid! You shouldn't tell him to do reckless things!"

Aang shrugged. "What's reckless about chasing us? We aren't exactly scary."

"Hey!" Sokka scowled. "I'm scary."

"You're not scary," Zuko yelled at the same time as Suki. They locked eyes and then scowled at each other.

"You're terrifying," Aang assured Sokka. "Well, it was nice to see you again, Zuko. I'm sorry you have to leave so soon."

Zuko turned to Iroh, tears burning the edges of his vision. "There must be something we can do, Uncle! He's right there! We can't just leave!"

"I'm sorry, Nephew. That is the only honorable course of action available to us."

Zuko stared at the statue of Avatar Kyoshi in the center of town. He felt an intense urge to set it on fire. He pictured it burning to a crisp, until there was nothing but ash left of the cultural heritage of the women of Kyoshi Island.

They had ruined everything for him. They had hid the Avatar, fought on his behalf, and… and… They had given him lunch, not harmed a hair on his head when there were dozens of them and one of him, retrieved his uncle, and still not attacked him after he antagonized the Avatar.

Zuko blinked away tears. "Fine," he said in an angry voice. "I will capture you, Avatar. I won't capture you today, but I will defeat you. I will drag you before my father in chains and make my family proud of me! I'll bring honor and glory to my noble lineage!"

Aang gave Zuko a confused smile. "Okay…"

Zuko scowled. He turned his back to the Avatar. "Let's go, Uncle." He stomped off.

"I'm proud of you, Neph-"

"I don't want to hear it!"

…

"Stop running!"

"Okay," Aang said with a shrug. Zuko had to pull the knife back a bit to avoid cutting Aang on accident when Aang jarred his arms with the shrug. Aang didn't seem concerned by this possibility at all.

"Be careful! I almost nicked you!"

"Thanks for not doing that," Aang said.

"I hate you! Why are you so weird?!"

"Hello, Aang." Zuko looked up. There was a smiling man standing in front of them. He had a long white beard. "Hello, Zuko."

Aang bowed. Zuko had to move the knife again to keep from hurting Aang. "Hello, Avatar Roku."

The knife slipped from Zuko's fingers. "Oh."

"You seem alarmed, Son. Is something the matter?"

"You…" Zuko trembled. His grip on Aang slipped, so Aang grabbed his calves to steady him. It didn't make sense. Aang was his enemy; he should have let Zuko fall. Aang should want him to fall.

Zuko licked his lips. His mouth felt dry. "You're Avatar Roku. You betrayed Firelord Sozin. You betrayed our whole country!" Zuko's heart pounded with fear.

Zuko resisted the urge to bury his face in Aang's shoulder. Aang wouldn't protect him from Roku. Aang was Roku. "Are you going to kill me?"

Roku's smile slipped. "I would never harm my own grandson. I would never harm any child, but you, Zuko, in particular have nothing to fear from me."

"Grandson?" Aang sounded confused. "How could Zuko be your grandson? You died a hundred and sixteen years ago! Uh… no offense," he tacked on.

Roku chuckled as if he were a benevolent old man instead of a terrifying traitor. "He is, in fact, my great-great-great-grandson. That doesn't exactly roll off the tongue though, does it?"

"No," Aang conceded. "It doesn't. Wow, so we've been family this whole time! Who knew? Isn't that cool, Zuko?"

"No! He's lying! I'm not related to the Avatar! I can't be related to the Avatar!"

Roku's expression once again lost some of its joy. "Zuko, I know that you are in a great deal of pain. We don't have a lot of time, but I want you to know-"

Zuko clapped his hands over his ears. Aang had to grip him tighter to keep him from falling. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say! You're bad and evil! I hate you!"

Zuko pressed tight against his head, closed his eyes and waited for Roku or Aang to attack him. The attack he anticipated never came. Zuko felt a light squeeze on his ankle. He opened his eyes and gasped.

Aang was gone. Zuko was on Roku's back. "What- what did you do to Aang?! Where is he?" Zuko reminded himself that he didn't care about Aang's well-being. Zuko just needed to capture him for himself.

"Aang will be fine," Roku promised. "Zhao is outside the door and wishes to harm both of you. I will keep you safe. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Zuko insisted. He ignored his pounding heart. "I'm not a coward!"

"No," Roku agreed. "You are not a coward. You are the farthest thing in the world from a coward. I wish we had more time to speak. Know this, Grandson, I am proud of you."

Roku's approval filled Zuko with shame. Still, he held on tight. He wasn't afraid. He just didn't want to fall.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," Zuko whispered, even though the answer was no.

…

Aang was… floating. Far below him, there was movement, violence. Aang wasn't concerned. He was above all of that.

"Aang," said a deep, somber but oh so kind voice. Aang glanced to his left and saw Roku floating on Fang. His expression was sorrowful. "It is time you learned."

"Avatar Roku," Aang said. "What's happening?"

"You have entered the Avatar State. In the Avatar State, you have access to the strength and knowledge of all the previous Avatars. However, this gift comes with a price." Roku looked away.

"Monk Gyatso said that gifts that come with a price aren't gifts," Aang said.

"My old friend was right," Roku agreed. "He was always wise, even as a teenager. You remind me much of him." Roku offered Aang another sad smile.

Aang smiled back, and then the smile melted away. "I remember… My friends are in trouble! I have to help them! Zuko-!"

"I am just as afraid for my grandson as you are," Roku said. "Please, Aang, listen. The Avatar State is powerful, but you must learn to control it. If you do not master it, then you will be useless to your loved ones when it is activated."

Roku gestured to the ground. Aang looked down. Katara and Sokka were still chained to the wall. Fierce winds were clawing at them. They winced and braced themselves.

Aang didn't see Zuko. Katara was screaming something, but Aang couldn't hear her. Aang saw soldiers running away. He saw buildings being ripped apart by his fury. He still didn't see Zuko.

"He's still underground! He's suffocating! I have to help him! Avatar Roku, take over, please!"

"I wish I could." Roku looked devastated. "Aang, you must seize control of yourself. You are my grandson's only hope."

"How?! What do I do?!"

"Let go of fear-" Roku began.

"Zuko is dying! Of course I'm afraid!"

Roku nodded. "I know. It is a natural reaction. Please, he needs you. You have to let go of the fear. You have to clear your mind."

Aang thought of the sweet and innocent little boy that always stood up for people, even people he didn't like. Aang felt tears spring to his eyes. Aang shook his head. He needed to clear his mind. He thought about the wind, blowing from place to place, free, unburdened.

"Good," Roku said. "Now, this next part will be the most difficult, since you are an Airbender. You must return to your body. You must weigh down your mind. Think about your ties to the Earth."

That was easy. He thought about Katara, Sokka and Zuko. He didn't let fear touch him. He just thought about how much he loved them. He opened his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving a review if you would like, good, bad or indifferent. All feedback helps. :)
> 
> Also, yeah, I'm still going to reorder all of these at some point, but probably not until the timeline catches up to itself.


	8. Disbelief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People keep telling Zuko they love him, but he knows better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a comment on this fic the other day out of the blue. It got me thinking about this fic, and well... The rest is history.

Zuko looked around the prison barge while his men carried out the rescue operation. Zuko had wanted to lead the mission, but his uncle had protested. Zuko was still furious about it. He might be small, but he wasn't weak.

A flash of blue caught Zuko's eye. He walked over to see what it was. Zuko knelt down and moved aside some broken chunks of coal and warped metal. Zuko picked up a necklace. His eyes widened as he recognized the design.

"There you are, Nephew!"

Zuko jumped to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back. He concealed the necklace between them. "I didn't find anything!" He looked at his uncle with one wide eye and the other in a permanent squint.

Uncle Iroh gave Zuko a confused smile. "Were you looking for something? Perhaps I can help you find it."

Zuko shook his head with great emphasis. "I need to go back to the ship!" Zuko didn't wait for Uncle Iroh to respond. He scurried back to the ship, which was a very awkward prospect with his hands pressed together behind his back. He knew he looked silly, but he didn't care. Well, he cared a bit.

Zuko went to his room and sat down on the floor to examine the necklace. It was dirty and torn. The tear was the probable reason that it had been lost. Zuko bit his lip. He thought he remembered a few stitches that his mother had shown him before… before.

Zuko cleaned the ribbon and the pendant with a soft cloth and gentle movements. He didn't want to damage the necklace further. Once the necklace was clean, Zuko did his best to repair the tear. He stuck himself in his thumb with the needle and yelped.

Zuko yanked his hand away from the necklace so he wouldn't bleed on it. He stuck his thumb in his mouth to suck on the puncture. That was when his uncle chose to enter without knocking. Zuko's face went red as his uncle walked in to see him holding jewelry and sucking on his thumb.

Zuko yanked his thumb out of his mouth and scrambled to his feet. "I wasn't doing anything!"

"I never said you were," his uncle said in that confusing tone of his that wasn't anger or disappointment or anything else Zuko was used to.

"Well, I wasn't!" Zuko crossed his arms over his chest. He looked down at the necklace that was still in his hand. His blush deepened. "It belongs to the Waterbender."

"I see."

"I'm going to use it to trade for the Avatar!"

Uncle Iroh nodded. "That's very clever, Nephew." He didn't sound like he was being sarcastic, but Zuko knew he was. People didn't give him sincere compliments.

Zuko scowled. "When will we be ready to leave?"

"We're ready now. That's what I came to tell you."

"Then let's go!" Zuko shoved the necklace into his pocket as he pushed past his uncle.

"I'm proud of you, Nephew."

Zuko pretended not to hear. Uncle Iroh said weird stuff like that all the time. Zuko didn't know what it was supposed to mean. He needed to get back to work.

…

Zuko woke up in bed. Uncle Iroh was sitting next to the bed, humming. Zuko reached up to touch the sore part of his head. Memory slammed into Zuko like an arrow, sharp and painful. Zuko whimpered.

Uncle Iroh stopped humming. He reached out and put a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "How do you feel, Nephew?"

"What happened," Zuko mumbled.

"You were struck by an arrow. Your mask protected you from much of the damage, but you still received a concussion."

Zuko stared at Uncle Iroh with dawning horror as he realized that his uncle knew. He knew everything. Zuko's mission was over. There was no doubt that there were soldiers waiting on the other side of the door to arrest him. Zuko struggled to explain.

"I almost had him! I was going to take him to Father! If Zhao hadn't shot me, he'd be in the brig right now! Give me another chance, Uncle, I'm so sor-"

Uncle Iroh squeezed Zuko's shoulder. "Breathe, Nephew. I am not angry with you."

Zuko stared at him without comprehension. "You're not?"

Uncle Iroh shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"But I'm a traitor," Zuko protested.

Uncle Iroh looked away, concealing his expression. "That's not how I see it," he said in a tight voice. "I think you did what was necessary. I think you were brave, and I'm proud of you."

Zuko scowled. "That doesn't make any sense! You never make sense! I don't understand you!"

Uncle Iroh returned his gaze to Zuko's face. He wore a sad smile. "I know."

Zuko looked away from his uncle. Once the fear of being arrested, or worse, rejected, passed, he was left with nothing but seething anger and resentment. He didn't understand. His uncle should be enraged that Zuko had allowed the enemy of the Fire Nation to escape.

"Prince Zu-"

"Leave me alone!"

Uncle Iroh didn't leave. "How does your head feel?"

"What do you care?" Zuko refused to look at Uncle Iroh.

"Of course I care, Zuko. Why wouldn't I care? You're my nephew. I love you."

Zuko shook his head and kept his gaze averted. "You're so unfair," he complained. His head hurt a lot, and somewhere in the back of his head he knew he should stop talking, but he couldn't. "At least Dad told me what I need to do for him to love me. You always say that you do, but you won't tell me why or what I have to do or not do so you won't stop."

"Zuko-"

"You keep saying that you're proud of me, but I haven't done anything to make you proud! You don't make sense! Why do you always do this?! Why are you so confusing?!"

Uncle Iroh was silent for a long time. Zuko blinked away some water from his eyes that had welled up due to pain. He was  _ not  _ crying. Zuko wondered if Uncle Iroh had left and Zuko hadn't heard him because of his concussion.

Uncle Iroh spoke. "It was never my intention to cause you so much distress, Prince Zuko. The reason why I never told you what actions you must take or refrain from taking to secure my love is because there aren't any. I will always love you, Zuko. There is nothing that you could do or not do that would make me stop."

"I don't believe you," Zuko snapped.

"I know," Iroh said with a sigh. "Is it alright if I stay here with you for a little while? I need to monitor your concussion."

Zuko shrugged. He glanced at Uncle Iroh. He didn't look angry. He just looked sad. "Fine," he mumbled.

"Thank you, Nephew."

Zuko closed his eyes. His head hurt. He wanted to rest. Uncle Iroh started humming again.

…

Zuko couldn't breathe. There was no oxygen around him, just dirt. He kept trying to take a breath, but his lungs filled with nothing but cold earth. Zuko tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Red tinged the edges of his vision. His lungs were burning. Zuko felt the world slipping away. It was almost a relief, because everything hurt so much. He let go.

When Zuko woke up, the pain was intense. He opened his mouth and took in a deep breath. It ached. He felt a sob shake his chest. He tried to hold it in, but to his shame, second and third sobs shook him. He began to cough up dirt.

"That's it, Zuko. Hack it up. There you go." Someone was rubbing his back.

Zuko opened his eyes and winced as dirt fell from his remaining eyelashes into his right eye. The irritation in his good eye was alarming. Zuko looked over his shoulder and saw Aang. The memory of Aang telling the Earth Kingdom general how valuable Zuko wasn't slammed into him. Zuko shoved Aang away.

Zuko tried to crawl away, but he had to stop after a few seconds. The pain in his chest was unbearable. Zuko went back to coughing and sobbing. A hand landed on his back, and Zuko smacked it away. He scowled at Aang.

"Zuko, I'm so-"

"Leave me al-!" Zuko was cut off by his own cough. Aang started to approach him, and Zuko tried to summon flame to deter him. Zuko couldn't get enough air into his lungs to create much of a flame. The fire died in his hands, and he started to sob harder.

"Aang!"

Zuko looked up and saw that Katara and Sokka were still chained to the wall. Aang turned around and broke their chains with strong directed bursts of wind. Zuko flinched away from the display of the Avatar's power. Zuko felt a pang of doubt that he would ever be able to defeat him.

Katara ran forward. She dropped to her knees in front of him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "I was so scared," she murmured. "I thought you were dead."

Zuko coughed up dirt onto her, but she didn't seem to care. Zuko felt her shaking. He hugged her back, to comfort her, not for any other reason. He struggled to draw in a normal breath. It still hurt so bad.

Katara coated her hand with water and placed it on his chest. He felt his breathing ease. He looked up at her with wet eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.

"I thought I was going to lose you. I thought I was going to lose someone else I-" She bit her lip and looked away. Zuko saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Oh Sweetheart, you didn't," Katara assured him.

"Zuko," Aang said. "I'm so sorry for what happened. I should have done a better job of protecting you. Can you forgive me?"

Zuko looked up at the older boy. He remembered what Aang had said. He averted his eyes. "It's okay. I'm used to it."

"What do you mean," Aang asked.

Zuko shrugged. "My mom abandoned me. So did my uncle. I know I'm not important like Katara and Sokka. I have to look out for myself." Zuko frowned, remembering that he had been unable to do so.

Sokka scoffed. "You're so dumb."

"Sokka!" Katara glared at him.

"We all look out for each other," Sokka said. "How have you not noticed that by now?"

"Delivery aside, Sokka is right," Aang said. "You're important, Zuko. We'll always look after you." Aang offered him a small smile.

Zuko shook his head. He knew better. He rested his head on Katara's chest, just for a second. Sleep fell over him, heavy and unrelenting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a review if you would like. :D

**Author's Note:**

> You can go to  
> https://electronswrites.tumblr.com/  
> for more info on all fics.


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